CTV Two

Milk prot�g� praises Vancouver Pride celebration

Vancouver's annual Gay Pride Parade, the second largest in Canada, once again attracted hundreds of thousands of supporters, leaving former Harvey Milk prot�g� Cleve Jones feeling a little green.

"Coming from the states it's a little bittersweet for me," Jones said.

"We're here to celebrate the incredible progress made by the LBGT (lesbian, bi-sexual, gay and transgendered) community, but my country still lags woefully behind."

Jones, one of the 2009 parade grand marshals, was recently portrayed by actor Emile Hirsche in the 2008 biopic Milk. Looking back on his time with the former San Francisco civic politician, Jones most remembers Milk's ability to draw support to their cause.

"He was a father figure to me, a mentor," Jones said.

"He wasn't a genius or a saint, but he had the most genuine ability to connect with all different kinds of people and find common ground. That's how you build a movement."